The Sun. — London, England, 1838-03-09 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR. Her Majesty held a Privy Council at two o'clock yesterday afternoon, at the New Palace. It was attended by the Lord President, the Lord Chancellor, the First Lord of the Trea sury, the Secretaries of State for the Home and Colonial Departments, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the President of the Board of Control, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary at War, the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, and the Master of the Horse. The Duke of Hamilton, K. G., a member of his late Ma jesty's Privy Council, was introduced, and was re-sworn of the Queen's Most Hon. Privy Council. Mr. C. Greville was the Clerk of the Council in Waiting. Her Majesty gave audiences to the Lord Preside t, Vis count Melbourne, the Lord Chancellor, Lord John Russell, Lord Hill, Lord Glenelg, and Viscount Palmerston. The Court was attended by Lord Hill, Gold Stick in Wait ing; the Earl of Fingal], Lord in Waiting ; the Vice-Cham berlain, the Comptroller of the Household, and the Clerk- Marshal. The Comptroller of the Household, the Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Cavendish, Miss Cavendish, and Col. Buckley joined Royal circle at dinner. The Band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards attended during the evening at the Palace. The Princess Augusta, and the Princess Sophia Matilda visited her Majesty the Queen Dowager yesterday, at Marl borough House. The Duke and Duchess and Prince George of Cambridge, attended by Miss Kerr and Colonel Cornwall, honoured Vis count and Viscountess Beresford with their company at dinner on Wednesday, at their residence in Cavendish-square. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester joined the party during the evening,. The Princess Sophia Matilda visited the Princess Augusta yesterday. A Deputation from the United Committee of Protestant Dissenters, including Mr. henry Waymouth, Mr. Thomas Wilson, Mr. John R. Mills, the Rev. Dr. Cox, Rev. Dr. Fletcher, Rev. John Burnet, Mr. Josiah Conder, and Mr. John Wilks, transacted business yesterday at the Home office. Baron Blame, the Danish Minister, arrived at Farrancc's Hotel, Belgrave-street, late on Wednesday night, from Ham burg. His Excellency transacted business yesterday, at the Foreign -office. Sir James Clark and Mr. Alston had interviews with Vis count Melbourne yesterday, at the Colonial-office. Sir James Carnac and Mr. Young had interviews with Lord Glenelg yesterday, at the Colonial-office. terda The Hon. W m. Cowper, M. P., met with an accident yes y, while on his way to attend her Majesty's Court (as the Groom in Waiting), the Hon. Gentleman having fractured one of his legs by a fall from a cabriolet. ---- - SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL' S-YESrERDA r• The Derby betting was far from heavy, nor did it comprehend so many horses as are usually noticed ; in ono or two instances, how ever, it was of some importance, as the following short recapitula tion will show :—$ to 1 was taken freely about the Cobweb colt, the takers being eager and the betters shy. Nonplus and Grey Momus stood at Monday's quotations, D'Egville, according to custom, dropping another point. lon, Early Bird, and Cobham were not in much demand, and stand at the old prices. Young Rowton, al though not backed, was a shade higher. Bullion was backed freely at 33, and afterwards at 30 to 1 ; and Monc Adam, with consider able spirit. at odds averaging 33 to 1. Not much said and nothing done on outsiders. One bet of 1,000 to 100 was laid agst. Unique for the Oaks, and two or three other bets to small sums without causing alteration worth notice. Closing prices:— THE ILIDDLESWORTH. 30 to 20 betted on Cobweb colt. THE AERIE. 9 to 4 on the field agst three (take 5 to 2) 7 to 2 agst John Day's lot (take 4 to 1) 7 to I agst Grey Momus and D' Egville (taken to 500 8 to I agst Lord Jersey's Cobweb colt—taken freely 10 to 1 agst Mr. Armitage's Nonplus colt—offered 11 to 1 agst Lord G. Bentinek's Grey Momus—taken 15 to 1 agst Colonel Peel's lon—taken 17 to 1 agst Lord G. Bentinek's D'Egville—take 20 to 1 18 t• 1 agst Mr. E. Peel's The Early Bird—tare 20 to 1 20 to 1 agst Mr. H. Coombes's Cobham—taken & aft. offered 20 to 1 aist Mr. Bland's Young Rowton—take 22 to 1 F3O to 1 list Lord Suffield's Bamboo—taken 26 to I agst Captain Berkeley's Bullion—taken 33 to 1 agst Mr. Richardson'; Monc Adam—taken 33 to 1 agst Lord Westminster's Richard Roe—taken - 40 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Bretby—offered 50 to 1 agst Mr. A. Smith's Cracker--offered 50 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Tranby's dam colt—taken 1000 to 25 agst Cobweb winning the Derby and Glenara the Oaks—taken 200 even between Richard Roe and Monc Adam THE OAKS. tq to 1 agst Lord Suffield's Callisto—taken 10 to 1 egg Lord Jersey's Glenara—t•iken 10 to 1 agst Duke of Grafton's Unique—taken and aft. offered 13 to 1 agst Lord Berners' filly—taken INTELLIGENCE EXRRA. EPSOM RACES. 1838. THURSDAY. The Surrey Stakes (handicap), of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft., and only 5 if declared on or before Saturday, the 31st of March, with 100 sovs. added. Cup Course. The winner of two or more races (matches excepted) between the day of acceptance and the day of starting to carry 41bs. extra weight. Three to remain in or no race. If walked over for the 100 sovs. will not be added. Mr. Wickham's br. h. Pincher, aged ; Lord Exeter's Darda °les, 4 yrs ; Lord E xe t er ' s C or b an, 4 yrs ; M r. F ort h' s Si ster to b natfield, 4 yrs ; Sir G. H ea t c h co t e ' s b. c . H amp t on, 3 yrs ; M r. Antson's Voluptuary, 4 yrs ; Mr. J. Garrard's Cornborough, 4 Y" ; Mr. Forth's Cavalier, 4 yrs ; Lord G. Bentinck's Venison, yrs ; Lord G. Bentinck's The Drummer, 5 yrs ; Colonel Peel's Jacob Faithful, 5 yrs; Mr. V. King's Hectic, 6 yrs; Mr. Bowes's J, gger, 3 yrs. QUARTETT CONCERTS. HANOVER-SQUARE. The second of th e ser i e s of Quartett Concerts, established " Y Messrs. Blagrove and Lucas, took place last night at the 11440 er-square Rooms. We were glad to observe that a 14 nels larger audience had assembled than at the preceding Concert. A mongst t h e com pany was his Royal Highness e Duke of Cambridge. The concert commenced with the fluititett in D major (op. 18), of Onslow, for two violins, tenor, violoncello, and double bass, played by Messrs. Blagrove, Cattie, Dando, Lucas, and Howell. This quintett is un doubtedly a ver y b eau tiful compositi o n, i n a li g ht b r illi an t ""Ile, full o f pl a yf u l passages, s kilf u lly s p rea d t h roug h th e se veral instrumental parts. The second movement, a Largo taestinuto, was by far the most effective. In it the double 83 "as conspicuous, and was pl a y e d b y M r . H owe ll w i t h a 411 round quality of tone, combined with great neatness of ezecution. To the second piece, a recitative and air, of rather mediocre character, the name of " Thompson" was ap- P e nded. I t was sung b y M rs. Alfred Shaw, and when we have e '_ a i e d th a t, we need scarcely add that the composer, who tvvhr he is, derived every advantag e f rom th e ass i s t a nce Ic h a splendid vo i ce an d fi ne taste cou ld ren d er. Th e cr, in particular, was magnificently sung. The first part uneluded with a manuscript Quartett of Mendelssohn, pre stnted t o M r. Blagrove, as the Programme informed us, by n e auth or, expressly for these concerts. It consisted of four L° Ye rnents, an all egro , a sc h erzo , an an d ante , an d a pres t o . te. most of th e compositions of the present day, it was ex d!ningly chrom a ti c , intricate. and difficult ; but somewhat "nid of interest for a general audience. It was played in a ` ~Inost finish e style, so that e nicest ear could scarcely _ie!ect an ina d ccuracy or a blem th ish. Blagrove's playing was ?lendid, but if he could contrive to give a little more fire, a }1,ll!!le more o f f orce an d energy, to his per f ormance i t wou l d b e t e more excellent than it is. The scherzo movment of quartets was encored. The Second Part of he r oncert, a com menced with M ozart ' s T r i o i n E ma j or, f or p i ano f orte, ndand viol once ll o , b y M essrs. Ci pr i an i P otter, 13Iarove, of ss Lucas, Thi s, an d the Quartets of Beethoven in F (No. 1 0 o p. 18), wer e th e gems o f t h e even i ng, and left Messrs. nslow and Mendelssohn a long way behind. The pianoforte rest in th e T r i o was p l ayed by Mr. Potter with extreme neat ess, and in a style that conduced to the general Lff,,ct, in an *special manner with no apparent wish on the part of the per former, to exhibit his own capabilities. The Quartctt, well known to the amateurs, of whom a great number were present, was ad 'bitted to have been played in a most finished and perfect style. It was applauded to the echo. The vocal pieces of this act were a canzonet, " The Maid of the Ganges," of Mendelssohn, sung by Mr. J. Parry, jun. ; and a romance, " The Water king," of Dessauer, by Mrs. Alfred Shaw. Both were an nounced as" the first time of performance," and it may be the 17hat for any peculiar merit they possess. The first is a mere and notwithstanding the nan:e of the composer, very linferior to many an English ballad, of no considerable popu nf4ritY• The " Water-King" is a heap of unmitigated ;rash F the Germ an sc h oo l, both words and music. Each was sung at better than it deserved to be. We should mention, that at ti le s fo concerts the vocal music is accompanied by the p;ano f Only, and that on this occasion Mr. Cipriam Potter per ,orrued the duties of accompanist with great judgment and good ka st _ day'v The next concert of the series takes place on Thurs the 22d instant. t The Duke of Devonshire after contributing 1,000/. contributed the new Roman Catholic Chapel at Dungarvan, has qtrlbuted one hundred guineas to procure an altar piece. 1 T he Duke of Devonshire has presented a club born'e ,at Dungarvan to the Liberals of Waterford and the Pre-uga of Dungarvan. The Marquis of Waterford has also Rioted one to the Conservative Club in that city. h e r „ or T C ountess of Lonsdale, who expired at Cottes for c e Park, in Rutlandshire, on Tuesday evening, had been D es :irtie months in a declining state of health, but her indis tditi,°.ll was not so severe as to confine her t o her bed. Her I . 2 d la lP was in her 78th year, and was, before her marriage, Y Augusta nine, eldest daughter of John, fourth Earl of ~e,strnoreland sister to the present Earl, and half-sister to t'leY Elizabeth Lowther. Her Ladyship had been united to to Lonsdal e more t h an h a lf a cen t ur y, h av i ng b een marr i e d `4, 0 Noble E ar l on t h e 1 7 t h J u l y , 1781. 13 h e famili es o f t h e E ar l o f Westmoreland, Lo r d \s;'l'ghersh, Sir John Lowther, Bart., Sir John Beckett, Lord the _ l4 . Powlett, (S‘c are placed in mourning by the demise of Counte ss of L'onsdala i di Lord H olland is convalescent ; h i s Lordship's n spesition was a severe attack of gout. _. y - ti o 4 u P general opinion prevails in and about the th at c-- en opinion th a t h as l a id hold of the public mind-_ B° Tne unfai rness occurs i n the subordinate offices with th e to the balloting for Committees. It is contrary to all drawcalculations of chances that the same names should be i s thenriccessively on three or four Committees—and yet such of t h e act— witness Mr. Fitzsimon, Sergeant Ball, and others t o th • L sarne political bias. Some of our friends ought to look s-Dubli n Evening Mail. BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY. (Abridged from the Bristol Gazette.) On Monday, pursuant to notice, a Special General Meeting of this Company was held at the Merchants' Hall, for the pur pose of agreeing to the draft of a Bill to be brought into Par liament for making a deviation, and several branches, in the Line of the Bristol and Exeter Railway. The Chair was taken by F. Ricxxvrs, Esq., who briefly stated to the meeting the object of their assembling, and then called upon Mr. Ward, to submit the draft of the proposed Bill, which is to enable the Company to make branch Rail ways to Nailsea, Weston-super-Mare, Bleadon, and Burnham; also extending the time for the purchase of lands, and giving the Company the power of purchasing more than half an acre of land cut off by the Railway, the restriction to that quan tity having been found exceedingly inconvenient; and other wise to amend, alter, and enlarge the powers of the original Bristol and Exeter Railway Act. Such was the outline of the proposed Bill, and it was for the Shareholders to say if they ap proved of it. . _ The draft of the Bill was unanimously agreed to, and the Chairman was directed to sign it on behalf of the meeting. This terminated the bu , iness of the Special Meeting. THE HALF YEARLY GENERAL MEETING Was also fixed to take place at two o'clock ; the Chairman requested the Secretary, Mr. J. B. Badham, to read the no tice calling the meeting, which having been done-- The CHATRMAN again rose and said, he had often had the pleasure of meeting them before, 'rut never under more cheer ing circumstances. The Directors had met with the support of the Proprietors during times of much depression, and it was through that support alone that they had been enabled to discharge their task, and overcome the difficulties which had surrounded them. From the most correct sources he was able to inform them that the Bristol and Exeter Railway was daily becoming more and more appreciated in London, Liverpool, and Manchester, as well as in their own neighbourhood. It was a Railway which was of the utmost importance to the citizens of Bristol, and to the whole West of England, and he claimed for it, therefore, their support as strongly con ducive not only to their own individual interests, but to the interests of the city and that of the district at large. He would conclude now by calling on the Secretary to read the Report. Mr. BADIIAM then read the following REPORT. " Since the Directors last presented to the Proprietors of the Bristol and Exeter Railway a Report of the state and progress of the undertaking, they have had the pleasure of witnessing such an improvement in its condition and prospect; as is not only encourag ingbnt decisive. The pressure which for many months afflicted and paralysed the commercial energies of the country—diminishing the resources and obstructing the judgment of those on whom it operated to an extent which caused them to disregard, or lose sight of, the most unquestionable estimates of advantage—has happily passed away : public confidence is again diffusing its accustomed benefits, and surplus capital is once more finding profitable employment in the revival of productive industry and rational enterprise. " As now occupying a high place in the first class of national investments, well-considered lines of Railway have necessarily and largely participated in the desirable results of returning prosperity ; and that the Bristol and Exeter Line has successfully vindicated the justice of its own claim to public support, will be hest shown by stating that, without resorting to coercion in a single instance, nearly Eleven-Twelfths of the last Instalment have been paid up— that within the last two months the obtainable value of its Shares has arisen from a heavy discount to a premium—and that an ex tensive amelioration in the Proprietary has been effected by trans fers to some of the most respectable and influential capitalists in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Bath, and other districts of the kingdom. " Although considerations, no longer existing, have induced your Directors cautiously to limit the scale of their operations, aid the impediments occasioned by another severe winter have been alike unfavourable to rapidity of progress, it will be satisfactory to the Proprietors to learn that the advancement of the works on the line has been gradually prosecuted to a considerable extent. Two-thirds of the Line to Bridgwater (which includes four portions, of nearly equal length, each of which is perfectly straight and level and with out any cutting or embankment) are under actual contract • the remainder is defi n iti ve ly se t ou t, an d th e property-plans ready for delivery ; more than a third of the Land has been paid for, and satisfactory agreements with the Landowners are being rapidly effected throughout the whole distance. " The Directors adhere to the determination, expressed in a former Report, to complete the Line through the Backwell and Nailsea Collieries, and by the watering-place of Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare, to Uphill, and thence to Bridgewater, in the first instance ; so as to insure a profitable return on the expected outlay of 351. per Share ; the estimates of which they see no reason to question. The Works will accordingly be commenced in a few weeks to the neighbourhood of Uphill in Contract No. 4, A., and the only two remaining Contracts, extending from Lympsham to Bridgewater, will be advertised in the following month. The Directors therefore confidently rely on the prompt support of the Shareholders, to enable them to ensure, if possible, the opening of the line to Bridgewater before the end of the ensuing year, when about two-thirds of the Great Western Railway will also be com pleted—thereby effecting such superior fa c iliti es o f commun i cat i on, between the West of England and London and the North, as must at once demonstrate the indispensable necessity and national impor tance of both these great works. It will be satisfactory to the Pro prietors to know that the Directors of each co-operate with the most perfect cordiality ; that the Chairman of this Company has been appointed to the first vacant seat in the Direction of the Great Western, and that important good offices have been tendered and accepted with such willingness and promptitude as could only result from a well-grounded conviction that the interests of both are indi visible. On repeating, however, the announcement of their design to make the completion of the Line to Bridgewater their first object, the Directors desire to accompany it by a renewed expres sion of their determination speedily to carry it forward to Taunton, and thence to Exeter, as originally contemplated, with the greatest practicable expedition. " The communications with the Government, respecting the establishment of a Steam-Packet Station on the Coast of Sonter setshire and on the Line of the Railway, leave no doubt on the minds of the Directors of the ultimate accomplishment of this great object, the advantages of which to the public and the Company are incalculable. " The application to Parliament, this day sanctioned by a Special Meeting of the Proprietors, for permission to construct se vera l short and expensive Branches, to make a deviation from the ori ginal Line, and for other purposes, will be no longer requisite, as respects the deviation, its necessity having been recently saperseded by an amicable arrangement with the landowner. " That the receipts arising from passenger and other traffic, combined with the comparative cheapness of the works, afford a certainty of an early and profitable revenue—that Geographical, Parliamentary, and other impediments, preclude all fear of com petition—and that the natural advantages of the beautiful, fertile, and populous country traversed by this Railway present such a suc cession of easy gradients as on most other Lines can only be ob tained by an enormous expenditure, are facts which former Reports have so incontrovertibly demonstrated that the Directors refer to them on this occasion merely for the purpose of assuring the Pro prietors that every new inquiry has only served to strengthen the evidence of their correctness, and consequently to present addi tional ground of satisfaction. " The Directors are fully persuaded that experience has already justified their entire confidence in the superior ability and judgment of their principal Engineer, the leading peculiarities of whose plans for the formation of Railways, as developed on the Great Western Line, are now attracting an increased share of public attentiun, and, in the course of the next year, will have been so far carried into ex tensive operation as to give to the Bristol and Exeter Company all the important benefits of his matured experience. The Directors cannot thus glance at the Engineering Department without again bearing testimony to the talent and unwearied devotedness of the Resident Engineer, Mr. Gravatt. " A ♦acancy having occurred in your Direction by the retire ment of Mr. Robert Castle, whose avocations have induced him to resign a Trust to the duties of which he was no longer able to de vote an adequate share of his attention, his place has been supplied, under the provisions of the Act, by the election of his relative, Mr. Michael Hinton Castle, a gentleman resident in Bristol, and pos sessing a considerable interest in the undertaking. " By section 139, of the Act of Incorporation, one-fourth of the Directors (to be determined by ballot amongst themselves) re tire from office at the present meeting, and an equal number of qualified l'roprietors are to be elected in their stead. The Di rectors thes balloted out are Messrs. Frederick Ricketts, W. D. Wills, William Morgan, and James Brown ; but they are all re eligible, and have consented to stand for re-election. " The annexed Account of Receipts and Expenditure to the present time shows a disposable balance of 61,6351. 131. 5d., being an amount exceeding two-thirds of the last Instalment, after cover ing every ascertained liability to the end of the preceding quarter, and 53,8651. 15s. 6d. after deducting all disbursements to the present time. _ _ _ - " A Map and Section of the Line, with a reprint of the Table of Traffic, will accompany this Report, and will be at the service of every Shareholder. 4‘ FREDERICK RICKETTS, Chairman. " Bristol, sth March, 1838." RECEIPTS. £ 1. d. First Call—Deposit of 21. 10s. per Share, on 14,988 Shares... 37,470 0 0 12 Reserved for Landowners.. 15,000 Second Call of 2/. 10s. per Share on 14,900 Shares... 37,250 0 0 Ileservod, as above ... l2 In arrear BB 15,000 11 Call of 5/. per Share on 12,623 Shares... 63,115 0 0 Reserved, as above * In arrear.., 15,000 Interest received from Bankers and Shareholders 3,497 9 0 Registration and Transfer Fees £141,388 19 0 4 These arrears are daily lessening, and will doubtless be soon dis charged. EXPENDITURE . Parliamentary expenses, including Parliamentary agents, and fees to counsel, solicitors' bills, NV i nesses, canvassing, taking road-traffic, hire of Committee-rooms, and all law charges and dis bursements, to the time when the A ct of Parlia ment for constructing this line reeeived the Royal assent... .... .... .................... 18,592 1 10 Engineering, including surveys of the whole line, plans and sections, maps, professional evidence in Parliament, and all other expenses and dis bursements in this department, up to and since the time when the Act was obta ined ......... 6,304 10 10 Travelling expenses before and since the passing of the Act, and country agency employed in re l at i on to the line generally .. „..............., Printing, advertising, stationary, bookbinding, an d various incidental expenses in Bristol and London from the first projection of the undertaking Expenses connected with ascertaining and setting out the line since passing the Act... Purchase of machinery, implements, utensils, and tools, maps, plans, &c., for use on the line and at including costs of the alte the engineer's offices, ration and repairs at the office in Coronation road, furniture, and diibursement 4 3,092 6 0 2,028 7 1 2,069 15 9 2,691 19 8 8,500 5 7 Salaries in the engineering and surveying depart ment, and draftsmen's salaries... Purchase of land, surveying and valuing, and com pensation for damages Payments to contractors and expenses relating to the contracts Law charges, conveyancing, and costs of title since the Act was obtained Office expenses, direction, salaries, office furniture, rent, postage, and carriage of parcels Balance in the hands of the bankers £61,635 13 5 Ditto in the hands of the secretary 83 13 4-61,719 6 9 9,319 2 8 1,990 19 10 5,158 7 0 £141,388 19 0 Since the period to which the above account applies, the Di rectors have made various additional payments for purchase of land, compensation for damages, wages on the line, and advances to the contractors, amounting to 7,7701. 4d., by which means the said balance of 61,6351. 13s. sd. stated to be then in the Bankers' hands, is reduced to the sum of 53,865/. 131. ld, viz.:— Balance as above £61,635 13 5 Land and Compensation .......£2,440 16 9 Contractors Wages, &c., on the line £53,865 13 1 remaining with Bankers, and inclusive of a balance in the hands of the Secretary for office disbursements. ROBERT BRIGHT, Esq., moved that the Report be adopted. Captain WALCOTT, R. N., seconded the motion. He called upon the meeting to bear their testimony to the seal and ability of the Directors, and to be no niggards in their thanks. The CHAIRMAN bore testimony to the great interest t a k en by the Directors of the great Western Railway in all that concerned the prosperity of the Bristol and Exeter line. C. B. FRIPP, Esq., moved that the corporate seal of the Company be affixed to the deed of registration. MICHAEL CASTLE, Esq., seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. W. JOHNSON, Esq., then, in a brief eulogistic address moved the thanks of the meeting to the Directors, which was seconded by G. JONES, Esq., and carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN returned thanks on behalf of his colleagues and himself, and assued the meeting that nothing should be wanting on their parts to promote the interests of the concern. S. DIBSDALL, Esq., moved the re-election of the Chairman and the three other retiring Directors. G. W. HALL, Esq., had much pleasure in seconding the resolution, which was then put and carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN, on behalf of the re-elected Directors and himself, returned his sincere thanks. RICILARD BALL, Esq., moved the thanks of the meeting to the Society of Merchants for granting them the use of their Hall. The Rev. J. TAYLOR seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. (It was afterwards understood that no further call will be payable for some months to come, and that the next call will not exceed .51. per share. Also that such was the present confidence in the prospects of the Company, that several capi talists have offered the Directors large amounts on loan to en courage the vigorous prosecution of the works.) Thanks were then voted to the Chairman by acclamation, and the meeting broke up. THE WORKS. In pursuance of arrangements previously made, a large party of the Directors, Proprietors, and other gentlemen in terested in the success of the undertaking, now proceeded in several carriages to Flax Bourton, for the purpose of viewing the progress made in the works on that part of the line. The party arrived at Bourton about four o'clock, and, under the polite guidance of Mr. Gravatt the engineer, lost no time in ascertaining for themselves the actual progress made. A feeling of surprise and gratification seemed to pervade all, the majority having previously entertained no idea of the extent to which the works had been carried. More than four miles of the road have been completed, with the exception of ballasting and laying down the permanent rails. Temporary sleepers and rails have been laid down, on which a powerful locomotive engine travels for the purpose of facilitating the transit of the mate rials, &c., used in the works, On the present occasion, several of the carriages, fitted up as conveniently as time and circumstances would allow, were put in requisition for the party, who, to their great gratification, were conveyed along the line at a speed, averaging from twelve to fourteen miles in the hour. The bridges, cuttings, and embankments, are all executed in the best manner, and reflect great credit on Mr. Brunel, Mr. Gravatt, and the contractor, Mr. Hemmings. After having minutely examined the works, the party re turned to the Angel at Bourton, where from 60 to 70 gentle molt sat down and did ample justice to an excellent dinner. The Chairman, F. Ricketts, Esq., presided at one table, and S. Waring, Esq., the Deputy Chairman, at the other. As soon as the cloth was removed, and the usual loyal toasts had been drunk, the Chairman rose and said it gave him heart felt pleasure to propose, " Success to the Bristol and Exeter Railway," which was drank with enthusiasm. " The Great Western Railway" was then proposed from the Chair, and received with much applause. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1835 SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS What we anticipated has happened ; the Lords last night, regardless of the majority by which it was carried in the Commons, threw out the Parliamentary Electors and Free men Bill on the second reading. We explained formerly that it consists (or consisted, for, .fait ilium, it is now no more) of two parts, the one extending the time for voters already on the register to pay their rates and taxes from sth April to 1 Ith October ; and the other for taking off the small stamp duty on the admission of freemen. The last portion was of Tory invention ; and had it stood alone it would have been passed ithout question : but Ministers perceiving that the object of it, though not in itself unreasonable, was to give an advan tage to the relics of rotten Corporations, the old freemen, preceded it by a provision affording something like a corre sponding advantage to the new constituency created by the Reform Act, but in perfect conformity with its spirit and letter. This advantage was, that whereas at present all ten pound householders—to entitle themselves to the franchise —must, on or before the 20th of July, have paid their rates and taxes due prior to the sth Ap r il, t h e Bill in question provided that electors already qualified by the de cision of the Revising Barrister should not in future be dis qualified if they happened not to have paid their rates and taxes since the 11th of October. It does not seem that the fact that the relief was only to be conferred on electors already on Me register attracted the attention of any Noble Lord on the Opposition side of the House ; and the Duke of Welling ton, the Earl of Haddington, and the Earl of Harrowby all treated the Bill as if it were framed purposely to introduce a new class of persons into the constituency. They went even farther than Charles V., who held that no man who did not pay taxes to him had the smallest right to interest himself in any way about the affairs of the Legislature ; for if an elector had by chance omitted, or had not been called upon to pay his taxes, according to these Noble Lords he was to be disfranchised, though he might be worth thousands a year. The Duke of Richmond mentioned a borough in which forty or fifty most respectable persons would have been struck off the list of voters, if they had not discovered just in time that they had not paid their taxes. His Grace added that be did not know what might be the practice at the Conservative Club, but at White's, Brookes's, and Boodle's a whole year was allowed for the payment of arrears. Lord Alvanley, who opposed the Bill, could probably have given the necessary in formation upon this point. It is worthy of remark, also, that not a single Tory peer stated the slightest objection to that part of the measure which repealed the stamp duty on the ad mission of freemen ; but as they could not separate the one part of the Bill from the other, they threw out the whole by a majority of 65. Let it not be forgotten that this measure did not give any, even the smallest, additional facility in getting upon the registry. No man who had not previously registered would be entitled to the indulgence.—Morning Chronicle. Ministers wore defeated last night, in the House of Lords, by a very large majority, on their Parliamentary Electors Bill. That Bill is one of the obvious results of the present desperate position of the Whigs. The existing Cabinet feels its vast inferiority to the Conservative statesmen opposed to it in both Houses. The only chance. therefore, which the Melbourne Ministers possess of retaining their places, consists in buying the support of the active portion of the middle classes, by sacrificing in detail, all the safeguards provided by our exist ing institutions, for the principles of monarchy, and aristo cracy. If this project for extending the time for paying rates and taxes, had succeeded,—another project for abo lishing altogether the tax-paying clauses of the Reform Bill would h ave b een brought forward,' in a year or two. Then, Household Suffrage would have succeeded ;—to be followed by some measure, supplying the most liberal inter pretation to the word " house." Universal suffrage would still have been in reserve. That would have been the grand card in the hand of the Whigs—to be played only, in the last extremity —to be played only for the stake of a long continu ance in office I The House of Lords has, once more, nobly done its duty by the country, in rejecting this \Vhig clap-trap Bill. Let the Conservatives in the House of Commons act on all occasions, with equal promptitude. The Whigs have little support out of doors—none whatever, in point of fact, excepting amongst the ten-pound constituencies. The " masses" hate the Whigs; and will hail with delight the return of Conservatives to power—providing, the Conservatives shall (as they very easily mny) show, that true Conservatism is careful, in an especial manner, of the rights and comforts of the labouring poor !--Morning Herald. To console themselves for a degree of humiliation scarcely ever before incurred by the members of an Executive Govern ment in this country, the prints in the pay of Ministers find it necessary to employ some curious assertions with regard to the motion of Sir William Molesworth, and the division by which it was terminated. In one of the most prominent of those Treasury Journals, we find it gravely vaunted yesterday morn ing, that " the first fruits of the union " between the Ultra- Radicals and the Tories are not precisely what either of them anticipated." The " union" between the Ultra-Radicals and the Tories I What muddy ditch have the brains of that his torian been steeped in, who could refer to the recent exhibition of the Member for Leeds in the House of Commons as a proof of " union," or understanding, or approximation, of any kind, between those gentlemen who wished " success to the rebel arms in Lower Canada" and the Conservatives, who had joined their bitterest political enemies in every measure pro posed by those enemies for the suppression of such rebels, at the greatest of all sacrifices to political men—viz., their own continued exclusion from office, when a different conduct might have put it at once in their possession ! It does not appear to us that a calumny so daring was ever yet risked by a press the most devoid of principle as that which was ascribed to the Conservatives on this late occasion a common policy with the section of ultra- Radicals from which proceeded Sir William Molesworth's motion. When Sir George Grey ventured to apply on Wednesday evening the term " unscru. pulous" to Sir Robert Peel and the Conservatives, well was he answered by Mr. NV. Gladstone—" Had our scruples b een less, our numbers would have been greater ;" and so they would. Nothing was easier for Sir Robert Peel than to take the motion of the Honourable Membelefor Leeds as ho found it, and to use that motion as the most convenient tool that offered for an engine of annoyance to an Administration which he despised. But such a course, however it might have deserved the opithet of " unscrupulous" on the part of Sir George Grey, does not appear to have been such as would satisfy the fastidiousness of the Conservative leader, and of those gentlemen whose feelings he consulted. Sir Robert Peel's reasons for substituting the amendment of Lord Sans don in place of the address of Sir William Molesworth were stated at length in the speech of the Ri g h t H on. B aronet. " What," interrogated the Right Honourable Baronet, " would the Right Honourable Baronet ( Sir George Grey) have me do ?" And in pursuance of the topics suggested by this question, he went on to state, that the motion being forced upon the House, without any participation from hies, there were but three courses open to himself and the Conservative party — either to abscond from the House, and sneak away without giving any opinion at all—a line of conduct which might an swer well enough, if the question were one with regard to which it was irrpossible to pronounce either an affirmative or negative opinion, such as a man could conscientiously agree to, but which would be eminently disgraceful where an honest opinion had been formed, and might have been expressed by a vote. The second course —wa s for the Conservatives to step out of their way, and throw a shield over the Whig- Radical Ministers, by moving the previous question —as one of that illustrious body ( Lord Howick) had done, out of pure love and affection for his friend Mr. Daniel O'Connell From the sort of success, therefore, which had attended the " previous question" in that instance, we do not wonder that Sir Robert Peel, had he been ever so inclined (which we take for granted he was not,) could scarcely have ventured to resort to it. There seems, then, to have remained but one other expedient, which was, to have voted for Sir W. Molesworth's motion against Lord Glenelg .by name,_ by which would incidentally, though eff ec t ua ll y , if sup ported a majority, have smashed Queen Vi ctor i a ' s Ca b inet. For ourselves, we are bound in truth and common honesty to avow, that we should have felt no squeamishness whatever about putting on record such a vote. There is nothing, we apprehend, in Lord Glenelg, to be 'so much respected or ad mired, or entitling him so conspicuously to public gratitude, cr rendering his future services of such vast contingent be nefit to the nation, as need induce any Conservative Member of Parliament, having well -strung, nerves and a wholesome stomach, to make wry faces at a vote of censure upon the public conduct of that nobleman (his private life, we admit, readily, is beyond reproach), because of its being directed for mally, though not substantially, against the Noble Lord in person. Moreover, to the objection of voting with W. Moles worth upon one point in which we happened to agree with him, lest it might involve us in the suspicion of coalescing with him upon other points, on which we had made it notorious to the world, that we totally differed from him —our answer is, that such a very partial and insulated co-operation, in the enforcement of an opinion which was common to both parties, would have filled us with no alarm whatsoever for the respectability of our general repute. When, once upon a time, a female of a cer tain description was quietly seated at the theatre, she ob served a lady at the entrance of the box start back with a look of horror at the sight of her who occupied it, upon which the Aspasia, with an air ofatronage, exclaimed, " Pray walk in, mad am , i t ' s not catchin p g." So might Sir W. Moles worth have assured the Conservatives of the House of Com mons that Radicalism any more than other frailties " was not catching." In truth, we might affirm that the prevalent in fection is of a kind opposed to Radicalism. However, it is but fair to acknowledge that Sir Robert Peel, in maintaining the amendment of Lord Sandon, alleged very plausible argu ments when he stated it as the object of that amendment, in which it is indisputable that the Conservatives, without excep tion, concurred by their unanimous vote, to embody in a single document all the views and principles which they had already professed in Parliament with regard to our Canadian policy. It was, therefore, their business to repub fish the determination to which they had pledged themselves a few weeks ago for the defence of the Royal authority hi Ca nada, no less than their dislike and contempt for the incapa city of the Queen's advisers. Whether it is the persuasion of the Conservative chiefs that they had better leave this Go vernment to die a natural death, and therefore abstain from any stop which might assist the process of dissolution, it is not for us, who are not in their confidence, to pronounce. But, assuredly, there never was a more absurd or slanderous pre tence on which to attack the Conservatives than that of their showing the slightest symptom of eagerness to disslace the Queen's Ministers, much less of readiness to accept any open ing for a leagu e with the Ultra-Radicals in favour of such a pur pose. Why, the Conservatiyes deliberately threw the Molesworth party overboard, and so far from deserving the imputation cast upon them by Si r G . G rey, they declared, in so ninny words, that " We will have nothing to do with you," and so framed their amendment as to leave the Ultra-Radical no choice but to run bodily out of the House, and absent themselves from the division. To be sure it must be allowed that not much was lost by this magnanimity of the Tories. The whole Moles worth faction was, after all, but the fraction of a faction. The Molesworth portion of the House of Commons, which trum peted forth for weeks beforehand a vote of censure upon the Government and a call of the House, comprehended neither more nor less than four names, each in its peculiar line no doubt respectable : but still the Molesworth faction does not exceed in number the Vivians, by whom its leader was expelled from Cornwall. Sir William being just able to make the same boast as his gallant successor Sir Harry, and to apprise Lord Melbourne, shaking his fist—" Remember, my Lord, by --, there are four of us !" The distinguished s,:ceders from the House on Thursday morning's division were as follow:—I. Sir W. Molesvrorth ; 2. Mr. Fielden ; 3. Mr. Leader; 4. Mr. Grote. But the real value of this last trial is, first in the striking su periority of the Conservative speakers and of the cause which they pleaded over the unhappy Ministers and their allies. Sir R. Peel, Lord Stanley, and Mr. W. Gladstone made masterly appeals to public opinion, not merely with respect to Canada, but on the ground of a proud comparison with their adversaries, of whom we shall merely say, that Lord J. Russell, though lie uttered a few shrewd personalities, was the worst speaker on this occasion but one of all those who ad dressed the House, and that the speech of Mr. Spring ,Rice was beyond all dispute the very worst we ever read or heard of. As for numbers, we have given the details below : The Conservatives in the Mouse, tellers included, were 289 Pairs Absent on account of illness, or the recent deaths of re- latives . Members for Belfast and Rutland to be henceforth counted 3 317 Was such an Opposition ever heard of before ! Was any Government ever suffered yet to stand in the face of such an Opposition ? If the Conservatives choose to turn them out, the way is plain before them ; in fact, if they fail, it must be from some uncommon deficiency in sagacity or energy of purpose. —Times. In a House of 607 Members on Wednesday night there was no more than a majority of twenty- nine that would not agree to a vote of censure upon her Majesty's Ministers. It is im portant to observe that those Ministers had not the courage to alter the question into one of confidence in their Government, and then to take a vote upon the affirmative of that question. They did not venture to move an amendment upon the motion of Lord Sandon, to the effect that the House approved of their colonial policy. All they attempted was resistance to a vote of censure, and by their own votes they negatived the motion which found fault with their own policy. To accomplish this by a number of votes less than the number of those who are of once Members of the House of Commons and of the Government is the triumph which Ministers have achieved. The real and important state of the case is this— that of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom there is no more than the paltry preponderance of twenty-nine who do not condemn the existing Government as the cause of re volt against the sovereignty of their mistress, the Queen of Great Britain. Now, when we consider that all the members of the Government voted for themselves—that every Govern ment has some influence in Parliament beyond its own mem bers, and yet of a similar kind to that which induces Ministers to vote for themselves—and, finally, that this Government is pre-eminently one that manages affairs through Commissioners, and therefore wields the influence arising from much expecta tion of advantage, as well as from advantage in possession— when these things arc taken into account, and yet after all they are within thirty of being actually condemned in the House of Commons, we cannot say that we think they are much to be envied. We know that they are not apt to be very nice, and that—(to use a somewhat homely illustration) —hungry dogs are wont to be very well pleased even with dirty pudding ; but we feel satisfied that there have been Ad ministrations in England, and we hope there will be again, who would feel shame and humiliation under such a vote as of Wednesday night. In the House of Lords it is certain that the majority has no confidence in the present Ministers— in the House of Commons the present Ministers are within thirty of being condemned for bad policy, leading tea colonial revolt. Such is their situation—if they are proud of it we shall only say that it is a most curious kind of pride, which honour able Ministers could not feel, and which honest men will find it difficult to understand.-111orning Post. Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chromelc enlarged, and no additional charge—Price Fivcpence. On Sunday, March 25th, the promised enlargement of Bell's Life in London will take place, thereby affording additional scope for the extension of its Miscellaneous as weil as Sporting In telligence. Extraordinary efforts will be made, by the employ ment of competent correspondents, to procure the most accu rate accounts of the approaching Coursing Meetings in all parts of the kingdom—Steeple Chaces—Hunting exploits, and every event interesting to the Sporting world—while, in the Racing department, the high reputation and accuracy of this widely circulat e d J ourna l, w ill b e f u ll y susta i ne d. O r d ers received by every News Agent in the United Kingdom. Sport ing Advertisements of Coursing Meetings, Steeple Chaces, Race Meetings, &c., must be sent to the Office on or before the Friday previous to publication—a rule also applicable to the Sporting communications of our friends. Price of Bell's Life in London, five pence. Office, No. 170, Strand, where can be had for threepence each, together or separate, parts 1, 2,3, 4, and 5, of the Gallery of Comicalities ; the 5 parts contain 438 comic wood -cuts, the cost of :which, designing, and engraving, exceeded two thousand pounds—near two millions have been sold—never out of print. Part 6of the Gallery of Comicalities, price threepence only, will be pub lished at No. 170, strand, on the 30th of April. Any of the Parts taken back, and the cost price of twopence each returned, before Jan. 1, 1339. Placards for chop windows. THE COURTIER'S DAUGHTER.-Utdy Step ney's new novel, under the above title, seems likely to attract unusual attention in the Court. and fashionable circles—busying itself, as we hear it does, not merely with the courtiers and the " courtiers' daughters" of the day immediately preceding our own, but with the very " head and front" of that brilliant circle—the Regent himself, his illustrious mother and sisters, and the immediate habitues of their private circle, being intro duced personally to the reader. This step, it must be con ceived, is as bold as it is novel, and the reading world will look with as much interest as curiosity to the result. Among the many " Men of Character" to be found in Mr. Douglas Jerrold's new work of that name, the reader cannot fail to recognise many of those eccentric individuals who, with a noble contempt of conventional propriety, have by their freaks and follies contributed to the " gaiety of nations." High and low, noble and ignoble, rich and beg garly—the peer, the player, and the vagabond, all have con tributed some characteristic to the many-coloured volumes. The Literary Portraits" in the New Monthly Magazine (the appearance of which has lately been retarded from accidental circumstances) will be resumed, we under stand, on the Ist of April. The new subjects for the graver arc the two distinguished naval writers, Captain Chamier and the author of " Rattlin, the Reefer." Mr. Colburn has also works by both these celebrated novelists in the press. One of them will appear in a few days, under the title of " Outward Bound." We notice with regret—for, in spite of his politics, he was an amiable and good man—the death of Sir Abraham Bradley King, Bart., an Alderman of the Dublin Corporation. Sir Abraham was at one time a leader of the Orangemen of the Irish metropolis, and memorable for his refusal to answer some questions put to him when before the bar of the House of Commons, on the occasion of the riot in the Dublin thaatre, when a bottle was flung from the gallegry at the Marquis Wellesley, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. If we remem ber rightly, Sir Abraham King got his baronetcy on the occa sion of the visit of George IV. to Ireland. Ile enjoyed an annual allowance from the Consolidated Fund, as compensa tion for his patent of King's Stationer in Ireland, an office now abolished. EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE.- lii the columns of the Suffolk Chronicle the following fact or fiction is found :—" Oa Sunday last a couple wishing to be joined in holy wedlock (the bans having been published as usual) at tended for that purpose at the altar in Syleham Church. The ceremony had proceeded to that part where the Clergyman asked the bridegroom if he would have this woman fur his wedded wife ? when he received the following answer :—" I don't know. I have a question to ax afore I answer you that. I want to know if we are married to-day, and I can't grit no work to-morrow, and have to go into the Great House (the Union House) the next day, whether we shall be parted." The Pastor replied in the affirmative, although he was bound to Answer in the words of the ritual, " Those whom God bath joined together, let no man put asunder." The bridegroom immediately put on his hat, saying, " then I 'ont marry to. day, so I wish you good mornin', Sir ;" and made his exit, leaving the clergyman to comfort the disconsolate and disap pointed bride with what grace and spiritual advice he could. - , . As a young sweep was pursuing ins avocation in Somers-town, a few days ago, he was seduced, by tire tempt ing offer of 3d., to clean an old woman's chimney, she adding, that if he performed his task well, he should be rewarded with an additional halfpenny. The job was done and paid for, and he was about to go, when a fearful shriek, proceeding from the bag of soot, struck the ears of the astonished ancient, who in stantly taxed the boy with stealing her favourite parrot. This was stoutly denied, a scuffle ensued, and the youth was finally handed over to the police, who walked him off, bag, and old woman and all, attended by a pretty considerable mob. When they were placed before the Magistrate, he desired to know the particulars. " This here warmint," said she, " vot I paid ge nerous to clean my chimbley, has stole my poll parrot, and has her in that ere soot bag." " Draw forth the bird," said the Jus tice. This was done by the little boy, nobody else volunteer ing to do it, when the justice-room was immediately filled with clouds of soot, from the flapping of Poll's wings. As soon as this cleared away a little, the Magistrate, who enjoyed a joke, observed that it was a blackbird, and asked the old dame what was the colour of her parrot. " Gr:ry, Sir," replied she, looking doubtfully at her old friend, who, terrified at the scene, turned from her, and uttered horrid screams. " Will you swear, madam," said his worship, " that that blackbird is your gray parrot ?" The old lady, fearful that the old gentle man might have had some hand in the business, hesitated. The magistrate, however, eventually ordered the restoration of the parrot to its mistress, and advised the boy to confine the soot bag to its proper uses in future, unless he had a particular desire to visit the treadmill. The old woman, enraptured at the recovery of her favourite, bore it off ia her bosom, .herd. less alike of its filthy condition, and the jeers of the mob, who laughed heartily at the spectacle she presented. GREAT FIRE AT BALTINIORE.—A most destruc tive fire broke out at Baltimore on the 3d ult., in the Theatre and Circus belonging to Mr. Cooke, which soon reached the large tavern occupied by Mr. Murphy. Beth buildings were totally destroyed, including property to the amount of 120,000 dollars. Mr. Cooke's theatrical wardrobe and other stage pro perty, together with 47 valuable horses, were consumed. Mr. Cooke was uninsured. SOUTHAMPTON..-.TUESDAY. The Government is about to contract for steam vessels for the con veyance of two mails a day from this port to Cowes—the first to leave at six o'clock in the morning, and the other at three in the afternoon. COWES-ISLE OF WIGHT. Arrived and came into harbour the American ship Triumph, Captain Hammett, frora Trinidad de Cuba in 70 days, with a cargo of sugar. On the 12th of February, in let. 42. 16 N. long 38. 40 W., while lying to in a heavy gale from the westward, a tremendous sea struck her, which carried away the bowsprit to the night heads, starting the stem, washing overboard and drowning four men, sweeping the decks of every thing fore and aft—boats, bulwarks, spars, and cook house, and hove the ship on her beam ends. While in that state her main and mizen tops were washed away by the sea. She righted on the other tack, and part of the pig.house was found in the foretop. All the cabin furniture, compasses, charts, &c. were destroyed, and the the ship leaked so much (they had three feet of water in the cabin), that they were obliged to throw overboard great part of the cargo. Maacri 7.—Sailed the Java, H. Peters (arrived here Jan. 26) from Batavia for Rotterdam ; Cecelia, I. C. Backman (Jan. 31), from M a . nilla, for Rotterdam ; President Schemmelpinninch, Nannings, (Feb. 20), from Batavia for Amsterdam ; Maria, Bruhn, (Feb. 28), for Rio ; Josephine, Smith, from Charleston for Rotterdam; Osprey, Bartlett, from Charleston for Amsterdam. ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE. COWES, Mance( S.—The Secretary of the Royal Yacht Squadron has sold Mr. Almon Hill's schooner yacht, the Gondola, of 141 toss, to Viscount Canning. OBITUARY. Died, at seven o'clock this morning, Mary, the wife of George Henry Ward, Esq., of Northwood-park. While living she was universally re.. spected ; her charity was unbounded; and as a wife, friend, and indul gent mistress, she will be long and sincerely lamented. Should Mr. Ward die without issue, the whole of the vast estates he inherits from his father go to the eldest son of Wm. Ward, Esq., the late Member for the city of London. BEAUTIES and MISERY of IRELAND. The misery, if you chance to be an Editor, consists in the probability of being scalped. This will be seen by the follow ing information which occupies a prominent place in the columns of certainly not the coarsest or worst conducted Journal in Dublin : " We perceive that the silly and malicious creature wh o does the Evening Mail, has been for some time mouthing at the Member for Kinsale. 'We shall pull the fellow's scalp over his ears on Thursday." The polite notice of an intention " to pull the fellow's scalp over his ears" was occasioned by the following extremely be coming and very pretty personal allusion to a Liberal Mem ber of Parlinment. Its beauties may be thought by some persons to be less conspicuous than its vulgar scunility ; but being manutactured by the Mail, no doubt the article is of the right sort and beautifully Conservative. Here it is ; judge for yourselves, courteous readers: MR. BILL SIAHONY. " As a suitable close to our Parliamentary summary we may observe that our friend Bill appears to be strutting out his brief hour on the stage with a view to his final withdrawal of himself as well as his bills. He goes,' saith a corre spondent, " from committee-room to committee-room, with his hat on to show the vulgar that he is a Member, and looked downright angry with the Chairman of the Youghal Com mittee the other day on the latter pronouncing the word withdraw. He supposed the word had reference to one of his 110 Bills.' He menaces us with a call to the bar for a breach of privilege !1 " If Isaac Sprott be in the land of the living we will en gage him as our counsel. We are obliged to Postpone an article from the Pilot in reference to Bill to our next." The Duke of Cleveland's health is much improved by his recent continental tour, and his Grace is now able to attend to his Parliamentary duties. The soirees at Oxford and Cambridge New Uni versity Club-house will be continued, it is said, every Sa turday evening, until the approaching Easter recess. The suite of apartments for the fair visitants have been fitted up in a s:yle of great splendour. COURT OF COMMON COUNClL.—Yesterday, a Court was held for the dispstch of public business. Mr. Fig gins inquired the result of the interview of a deputation ap pointed to wait on Lord John Russell—to which question the Lord Mayor answered, that his Lordship had expressed a de sire to peruse the Bill recommended by the Corporation, and to confer with him (the Lord Mayor) and one of the Senior Aldermen on Friday (this day). The Court then proceeded to consider the resolutions of the whole Court upon Municipal Reform, after which it adjourned. OTTER HUNT.—Tuesday last, as Mr. Cocks, of Pangbourn, was proceeding towards Maplcdurham by the side of the river Thames, when opposite the grounds of P. Powys, Esq., his old bitch Nell, whicn is of the retriever breed, sud denly dashed into the water and caught an otter by the loins, when a severe contest ensued, both being sometimes under water and sometimes on the bank ; at length the rAriever succeeded in shifting her hold, and seizing her antagonist by the throat, she instantly carried him a considerable distance into the meadow, where after about a quarter of an hour's txertion she succeeded in killing him. Old " Nell" then returned to the river, and immediately started another from the bank, which after diving a few yards chewed himself on the surface; he was then shot at and sightly wounded, but sufficiently to prevent his diving more than two or three yards at a time. Old " Nell" was soon with him, and when about mid-stream, as lie was again preparing to dive, she caught him by the brush ; he immediately turned round and " showed fight ;" an interesting struggle then took place, and after ten minutes' attack and defence, the old retriever succeeded in getting har favourite grasp by the throat, and directly swam to shore, with her prize ; after great exertion she also laid him prostrate at her master's feet. They were a pair of very fine young otters, and measured about two feet and a half in length. —Aylesbury News. EAST INDIA SHIPPING. Arrivals.—March 7, the William Barras, Norie, from Ben gal, at Bristol, sailed Oct. 12, and from St. Helena, Jan. ,; Avoca, Beadle, from the Mauritius. at Liverpool, sailed Nov. 16, and from the Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 13. March 8, the Renown, from Bengal, off Margate, sailed Oct., 21, and from Table Bav, Dec. 29; John March, Clucas, from Bengal, at Liverpool, sailed Sept. 26, and from Table Bay, Dec. 14; Malabar, Dunlop, from the. Mauritius, Nov. 26, and from the Cape of Good Hope, Dee. 24. Arrivals at Singapore.—Her Majesty's brig Zebra, .M'Crea, Nov. 15, from Milian; her Majesty's brig Victor, Crozier, Nov. 15, from Batavia. Arrival at Cochin.—The Walmer Castle, 13ourebier, Nov. 29, from London and Bombay, bound to China, had been struck by lightnin g on th e 22d, off Mzngalore. Madras, Dec. 15.—The wreck of the Thalia, Bidet), has been sold for 5,000 rupees. Arrival at Goa.—The Don Pedro, Nov. 19, from Lisbon and Mozambique. Arrival at Jladras.•—Her Majesty's brig Algerine, Thornrt., Dec. 15, from Trincomalee. Arrivals at Bombay.—The Ardaseer, 1 1 41‘Intyr, from Fort William; Nador and Charlotte, .Jan. 2, from China; Turro harry, from Cochin : Clairmont, Ogilvie, from Calcutta. Departure from Bombay.--The Clarissa, Andree. Dec. 30, for Madras. Arrival at Rio.—The Charles Carter, Christall, Dec. 20, from St. Helena. Departure from Bahia.—The Lord Goderich, Smith, Jan. 3, for Rio and South Australia. Arrivals at Calcutta.—The Swallow, Adam, and Will Watch, Barrington, Nov. 30, from Penang; Patriot King, Clarke, Dec. 13, from Liverpool ; Indian, O'Brien, Dec. it,, from Rangoon. Departures from Calcutta.—The Betsy, Laffield, Nov. 18, for Bombay ; Coromandel, Dicon, Nov. 19, for London ; John William Dare, Watt, Nov. 21, for Busbire ; Sarah, Luster, Dec. 1, for Moulmein; Fanny, Sherriffe, Dec. 15, for Ceylon. Departures from China (previous to Nov. 27.)—The Ann Griffiths, for Manilla ; Prince George, Lenston, Nov. 3, for Manilla; Lord Auckland, Wylie, Oct. 22, for Calcutta. Ships spoken with.—The Abberton, Shutticworth, front London to the Cape, Madras, and Calcutta, in March, in lat. 41. N., long. 10. W., by the Liverpool steamer, arrived the Ist ult. : May, Lions, from Llanelly to Bombay, Dec. 8, in lat. 61. S., long. 64. E. ; Thalia, Graham, from Liverpool to Calcutta, Jan. 21, in at. 3. N., long. 23. W. ; William Allen, Valerino, from London to the Mauritius, March 4, in lat. 49. N., long. 9. W., by the George Canning, arrived in the Downs. Passengers per the Earl of Balcarras, Vaux, from China to Bombay and Manilla.—Captain Christopher Biden, late of the Victory ; Shillibeer, Passengers per the Orient, Taylor, from Bombay (expected). —Mr. and Mrs. Elwin and child. Passengers per the Euphrates, Hannay, from Bengal (ex pected).—Colonel and Mrs. Hall and family, Mrs. Lamb and family, J. Lamb, EEq., Lieutenant Waugh, and Lieutenant Reid. Passengers per Seringapatam, Denny, from Bengal (to ca/1 at Vizagapatam and Cape, expected).--Lady Malkin and two children, Mrs. Gardner and child, Mrs. Major Malkin and two children, Mrs. Captain Trevelyan, Mrs. Rose, W. Wilkinson, Esq., C. S. ; Colonel Tickell, C. B. ; H. Scott, Esq., C. S. ; Captain Trevelyan ; Captain Rose, I Ith Light Dragoons ; Captain Todd ; Cobb, Esq. Passengers per Madagascar, Walker, from Bengal (to leave Jan. 15).—Dr. and Mrs. Swiney and two children, Mrg. Doris, Mr. Siddons, lst Light Cavalry ; Airs. and Miss Sid dons, Mrs. Forbes, Captain Webster, Mr. Save and two child ren, Captain Roberts, Artillery ; Mrs. Roberts and child. DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF LONSDALE.—WO regret to have to announce the death of the Countess of Lons dale, which took place at the. Earl's scat of Cottcsmore, in Rutlandshire, on Tuesday. Her Ladyship was a sister of the Earl of 'Westmorland, and was born in 1761. The amiable manners of this Noble Lady, and the grace as well as good ness which distinguished her conduct and deportment, will long be affectionately remembered, not only by her family but by all who had the honour of her Ladyship's acquaintance. SURGICAL OPERATION.—That very hazardous operation in surgery, amputation at the shoulder joint, was performed a few days since in the short space of three minutes, by Mr. W. H. Reed, a member of the College, practising in Tiverton. He was ably assisted by the presence and the ad vice of the principal surgeons of the town and neighbourhood. The patient was James Jesson, a poor labouring man, about 32 ; his arm had been amputated at the wrist some time sinco in the Exeter Hospital ; it was afterwards amputated just above the elbow, but the disease still continuing, the only chance left was this operation. The poor fellow had made up his mind for the worst, and bore all the agony without even a groan. The operation was most successfully performed, and the pa tient is doing very well.— Western Times. AN ATTEMPT AT RAPE.--A man, named Richardsen, was brought before the Court, charged with an attempt upon his own daughter. The young victim was ❑ot born in wedlock, but had been acknowledged and iegitimized. It was sought to prove that her birth had taken place long before his acquaintance with the mother, and that he had merely acknowledged her from generosity. Mr. Persil main tained the impossibility of proving non-paternity. Mr. Derode argued that the Jury had a right to discard every legal fiction. The law (said he) more severely punishes a parent for such an attempt, because he commits an outrage on the most natural feeling of respect. Where no tie of nature exists, the aggravated f,rm of punishment cannot be inflicted without injustice. The Jury, coinciding in this opinion, de clared Richardson guilty of the attempt, but did not entertain the question of paternity. lie was sentenced to five pears' imprisonment.—Droit. At Chelmsford, on Saturday, three wretched fa mished children and their mcther were brought before the magistrates, having been found sleeping in a pig-sty, without food or covering, and almost dying of starvation. Their names arc Bailey, and the father, with them, had a few weeks ago been turned out of the parish workhouse ; he having no work, had left his wife and children, and had been roaming up and down the country, trying to live by begging, and was appre hended for that offence, and committed to prison for one month's hard labour as a vagrant. The Rev. Mr. Brooksby, the magistrate through whose benevolence the miserable fa mily had been rescued from death, ordei ed the attendance of the overseer, to whom he expressed his horror at the unwar rantable neglect of the poor creatures, who were left in their wretched shelter for aree days without food. The overseer admitted that they had been turned out of the parish work house, but they might have applied, he said, for admission to the district workhouse. 'I he worthy magistrate under the sanction of the Bench, made a provisional order for their im mediate admission into the workhouse, for which the poor woman expressed herself sincerely grateful. —Essex Tunes. At the Assizes recently held at St. Omer, four English gentlemen were tried on a charge of attempting to commit homicide in a duel, in which Mr. Cecil Johnson, late Captain on the Quartermaster-General's Staff of the British Legion, and Mr. Walker, late a Cornet in the Ist Lancers of the same Legion, were Principal:, and Messrs. H. Weten hall and W. Fitzjohn were seconds. The Jury acquitted all the prisoners. On Saturday• Richard Metcalf, one of the workmen on the railway near Littleborough, was at work in a shaft connected with the tunnel when a bucket of cement which was being lowered broke from the rope, and, falling upon him, killed him on the spot. This is the second accident of exactly the same description w rich has occurred within a few days, and not many yards from the same spot. —Halifax- G:Jur MURDER AT DIEPPE.—A countrytral, with his clothes torn, and his hand covered with blood, went, a few days ago, to the office of the Procureur du Roi, at Dieppe, and surrendered himself as a murderer. He gave his name as Devaux, and stlted that he had long lived on bad terms with hi brother-in-law, Ducrocq. for his ill-treatment of his sister, whom the latter had martied. Two days before a violent quarrel had arisen between the man and wife, which ended in . the elopement of the latter. As she remained absent the whole diy Ducrocq imagined she had gone to her brother's, and went there to seek her. She had not, however, made his house her refuge, and they both agreed to go out together and endeavour to find her. Not being successful they returned to gether to Devaux's to supper, during which DucrUcq perceived that the other was in the possession of a pistol, and offered to gi% . e him a watch in exchange for it. This was refused; and they separated for the night. They met again early the next morning in a wood, each armed with a bill for cutting the branches of the trees, which was their occupation. Duerocq renewed his importunities for the transfer of the pistol, which Devaux had still with him, and being again refused he de- . clared that, if he could not have it by fair means he would by foul. In the end they commenced a battle with their bills, which lasted for some few minutes without either of them being struck. Devaux, however, found that he was weakest, and, at the same time, irritated by the conflict, he drew back a few paces, took the pistol nom his breast, cocked it, and fired it at the head of his adversary, who fell, covered with blood. Maddened by rage, Devaux threw the pistol from him, and taking up his bill, gave his fallen adversary several desperate wounds. Devaux further declared that, his crime being con summated, he remained for a considerable time in a state of stupefaction, but, on recovering his senses, he was so over conic with horror and remorse at the ghastly si;ectacle before hint that he resolved to deliver himself up to justice. Two medi cal men and a party of gendarmes were sent to the wood, where they found the mangled body of Ducrocq, anrt, as their report confirmed the confession of Devaux, he was committed for trial. Lord Ward obtains his majority on the 27th ing, It is supposed that his income will exceed two hundred thou. sand pounds sterling per annual. There will be a series of fetes given —the first a dinner, when covers will be laid in the House at 'Holley, in Staffordshire, for sixty persons. On the 3d of April an immense banquet will be given to the tenantry in the Great Hall of that baronial mansion ; and on the sth of April will be given a magnificent ball and a most sumptuous supper. Covers will be laid for two hundred and fifty only but a far greater number of persons of distinction are expected to grace the board. IZeport speaks highly of the princely rounifieet:ce which will man k the outline of his future caree r . The trustees for the management of the propel t,:,7 Lre_L or d H x a t e l t ' e e r r , to a n n %% d M . h is r. il o e r n i ‘. l O l w, the barrister. THE t a ly), the B i s h op o f E THE POTTERIES.-Trade is still very dull : most o: the manufacto - ies a reemployed li;tle more than 'half time, —Sta.ffin. cish ire E xam i c and many not yet started since the front : but th e poverty oc c isioned by it is considerably relieved b y t h e praisewort ' y exertions of all parties in diva ibuting b r : a d, soup, coals, Sec., to the.necessitous poor. I